Press Release
GRAU.ZERO Architecture Receives the A' Design Award for Campus F.03 Residential Building in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
GRAU.ZERO Architecture recognized for architecture, building and structure design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 18, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ Campus F.03 Residential Building by GRAU.ZERO Architecture has been granted the A' Design Award in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The recognition forms part of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the A' Design Award Means
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
About Campus F.03 Residential Building
The seven story Campus F.03 building was developed with a focus on the street frontage, presenting a dynamic and rhythmic facade with a gradual transition between elevations, merging structure and elegance through sleek modern finishes and warm wood accents. The structural frame, defined by pillars and beams, creates a rhythmic composition across the facade, gradually fragmenting toward the upper floors, with an interplay between solid and void achieved through walls, glass, and open spaces between pillars.
About GRAU.ZERO Architecture
Founded in 2004, GRAU.ZERO Architecture is a multidisciplinary studio based in Porto with representation in Lisbon. Operating through GRAU.ZERO and LUGRE Design, the studio works across architecture, interiors, and design. It delivers client-centred, BIM-integrated solutions across the tourism, healthcare, restoration and real estate sectors, with projects in nine countries across three continents.
Award Record
With this recognition, GRAU.ZERO Architecture is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award
The A' Architecture Design Award is an international architectural design competition recognizing good architectural designs by best architects worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to architectural design studios, building contractors, structural engineering firms and architecture and design consultants from all countries. Entries typically include skyscrapers, museums, residential buildings, commercial complexes, educational institutions and religious structures. Awarded architectural projects are published at https://designers.org/design-category/architecture
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/181763
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/181763
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!181763
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/380494
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://grauzero.com/
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
###
Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Campus F.03 Residential Building
- Function
- Residential Building
- Category
- Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture
- Colors
- Dark Slate Blue, Dark Slate Gray, Dark Olive Green, Steel Blue and Black
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- GRAU.ZERO Architecture
- Country
- Portugal
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #181763
Credits
- Team
- Sérgio Manuel Nobre, Joana Barbedo, Rui Pacheco, Paula Pereira, Brisa de ieias, Lda, Rogério Silva and J.pino (Engenharia Lda)
- Image Credits
- Ivo Tavares Studio - Architectural Photographer
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The Campus F.03 building comprises seven floors and a total of 23 residential units, as well as commercial space. The building offers a variety of residential units, ranging from one-bedroom to three-bedroom apartments. The smaller units are situated on the lower floors, while larger units are located on the upper floors, providing spacious accommodation for larger apartments and optimising space, allowing a dynamic and rhythmic facade.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by the need for urban revitalization and community integration, Campus F.03 presents a cohesive development that combines housing and commerce. The structural frame, marked by the pillars and beams, is used to achieve a gradual transition between elevations. This creates an aesthetic rhythm in the facades that are gradually defragmented until reaching the total number of floors, with an interplay between solid and void. This is achieved by using walls and glass, or simply open spaces.
- Research
- By analysing the urban fabric and community demographics of the Liceu neighbourhood in Aveiro, the team identified two types of housing in demand: family housing and student accommodation near the University of Aveiro. The outcome was a mixed-use building comprising 23 apartments and a commercial space on the ground floor. The design of the building aims to revitalise the neighbourhood by creating dynamic, multifunctional spaces that foster a harmonious blend of residents.
- Challenge
- The project addresses the challenge of integrating a multifunctional building into a consolidated urban perimeter, balancing volume, functionality, and aesthetics. Innovation lies in the recessed volumetric strategy, designed to respect site elevation changes and create smooth urban transitions. The use of a portico structure elevates the façade composition through a dynamic rhythm of solids and voids, articulating pillars, beams, opaque planes, and transparent surfaces.
- Realization and Technology
- The building's material palette blends modernity with warmth, ensuring its integration into the neighbourhood's aesthetic. The façade features CIN's Etics colour system in reference 0731, complemented by light oak wood sheeting on the blind walls. Railings made from micro-perforated sheet metal, painted RAL 6028, are topped with solid light oak wood, creating a cohesive and inviting design. These materials were chosen not only for their visual appeal but also for their durability and compatibility with the surrounding architecture.
- Operation and Interaction
- Access to the residential units is located along Rua de São Sebastião, where vertical circulation elements, including staircases and elevators, connect all floors. This arrangement allows the ground floor to be almost entirely dedicated to a large commercial establishment, adding vibrancy to the area. By blending residential and commercial uses, the building contributes to the neighbourhood's economic and social vitality, making it more than just a place to live.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project, which began in 2019, is located in Aveiro, Portugal, and was completed in 2023.
- Specifications
- The project, which totals 2040 square metres, was constructed on a 677,5 square metre plot. The building has six floors above ground and one below. The residential units comprise 23 properties, divided into the following categories: studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom. There is one ground-floor commercial space.
- Keywords
- Residential Architecture, Contemporary Architecture, Portuguese Architecture, Facade Design, Aveiro
